A.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Abdul Aziz.

An objection that is raised is that why Ahmadi Muslims do not go for Hajj? Instead they go to their holy place in Qadian (the birth-place of their Founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Punjab, India)? Hajj is a pillar of Islam which they disrespect and they show more love for their own places rather than where the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was born, therefore they are not Muslims through their actions!

This is a nonsense objection, how can Ahmadi Muslims go for Hajj when it is the Muslims themselves who are preventing them? Every Muslim must perform Hajj once in their lifetime, unless either the way is prevented, ill health or they cannot afford it. Ahmadi Muslims are prevented to go to Mecca for Hajj by the Saudi Government!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Furthermore, in Pakistan, you have to sign a form if you want to perform Hajj and Umra and on that form you are required to declare Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, may peace be upon him, as a false prophet!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  No Ahmadi Muslim can sign such a form. Hajj is a rite in Islam which you do purely for AllahƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sake to attain the Nearness and Blessings of Allah. All worldly things should be left behind, even your clothes, as you are required to put on two white unsewn clothes ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Ihram and so leave all worldly things behind, all fashion cloths etc. and instead everyone is the same, all Muslims striving for the same objectives. If that is the case, then why are they bringing politics into it!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Who are they to say who can do Hajj or not!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  No doubt they will say that Hajj is only for Muslims, but if we declare the Kalima ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” la illaha illallaho Muhammad ur Rasoolullah, then who can tell us we are non-Muslims? Only Allah will judge if we are Muslims or not. It is not for the Saudi Government or the Pakistan Government to decide if we are Muslims or not. That being the case, then they have no right to prevent us. And then after preventing us from going to Hajj, then have the nerve to say we are not Muslims because we donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t go for Hajj!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  May Allah have mercy on them.

The fact is that many Ahmadi Muslims do go for Hajj, but they are unable to go from Pakistan. Fortunately there are many countries in the world who do not have the narrow mindedness of the Pakistan legislative and so donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t put such conditions when applying. When Ahmadi Muslims go for Hajj or Umra, then they go for AllahƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sake. Even in Sri Lanka, few Ahmadi Muslims have performed Hajj. They donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have to declare what beliefs they have, they go as submissive servants of Allah. But there are over 73 sects in Islam, they all have different beliefs, so whose is the right belief. Is it Sunni Muslims, so therefore no ShiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ite Muslims must go for Hajj as they donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t follow the same beliefs? And then what kind of Sunni Muslim, is it Wahhabism or Jamat-e-Islami etc. and so all those Sunni Muslims who do not follow this brand of Sunni belief canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t go for Hajj? Where did all these conditions come in to who can or canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t perform Hajj? It once again shows the poor state of Islam these days.

But we are not the only ones who were prevented from doing the Pilgrimage. Our beloved Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was also prevented from doing the Pilgrimage by the Quraish, so if we are in the same company as the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then what blessed company that is.

Concerning going to Qadian, no Ahmadi Muslim goes to these places for pilgrimage. No doubt Qadian was the place where Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, may peace be upon him, was born, therefore Ahmadi Muslims like to visit that town, but we donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t go there for pilgrimage instead of Mecca. They are important to us and we try to go there if we can, but the Holy KaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢aba is far more important to us as this was the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”first house built for the worship of the One GodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and we have been commanded by the One God to go there for His sake. That can not and will not ever be replaced by other towns, no matter how important we may feel them to be.